In terms of stylish mobility, coupes tend to take the cake when you want to look good and go fast. There are plenty of options south of $100K too, but the BMW 440i strikes that figure closely, and it provides a good old rear-wheel driven driving experience that can be balanced out nicely with a comfy cruise. That and 240kW means plenty of poke.
But if you want something a tad more ostentatious than a Bimmer, you can look to the used car market. There, you might happen upon the occasional luxury depreciation nightmare. A nightmare for the original buyer.
Around 15 years ago, you’d be shelling out about $375,000 for a new Bentley Continental GT. With inflation? $520K. Now that same car is, according to our hunt through the classifieds, worth around $85,000.
That gets you 12 cylinders of British (er, German) brute, but we reckon a car weighing in at 2.4-tonnes wouldn’t feel as brisk as it might’ve 15 years ago when anything north of 400kW was crazy powerful.
There were still two-digit power figures in Hot Source! In 2005, we managed a 6.06sec 0-100km/h run, where the 440i we tested in 2018 ran it in 5.1. We reckon if you’re sensible, and a keen driver, you’d take the Bimmer.
Classic MOTOR: 2004 Continental GT first drive
But that’s not what this page is about and, if you’ve got the coin, why wouldn’t you want to be able to say you own a Bentley? Obviously, buying a 15-year-old luxury brawler will continue to weigh heavily long after the initial outlay, but it could just be worth it if it means walking into your garage to see a bewinged ‘B’ whenever you please.
MOTOR comparison: 440i v Q60 Red Sport v RC350
| 2020 BMW 440i | vs | 2005 Bentley Continental GT |
| 2998cc inline-six, DOHC, 24v, turbo | ENGINE | 5998cc W12, DOHC, 48v, twin-turbo |
| 240kW @ 5500rpm | POWER | 411kW @ 6100rpm |
| 450Nm @ 1380rpm | TORQUE | 650Nm @ 1600rpm |
| 1555kg | WEIGHT | 2410kg |
| 5.0sec (claimed) | 0-100KM/H | 4.9sec (estimate) |
| $103,200 | PRICE | $80,000-$100,000 (used) |
Where old is still gold at New vs Used
